A known technique for detecting a target material, such as a protein of a pathogen, for example, involves placing a cantilever sensor in a medium for a period of time. The cantilever sensor is designed such that target material present in the medium will bind or attach to the cantilever sensor. Typically, after use, the sensor is discarded or cleaned for reuse. Discarding cantilever sensors can be expensive and an inefficient use of resources. Attempts have been made to clean a sensor after use. Typically, cleaning a sensor involves a chemical rinse or the like. Use of chemical rinses to clean cantilever sensors can be a time consuming processing. Further, chemical rinses are known to damage the cantilever sensor and degrade detection performance of the cantilever sensor.